Retro Olympics banned from Google Play after hitting IP infringement hurdle

To many, the London 2012 Olympics seems to be more about branding wars than actual sporting competition.

Over the past few days, LOCOG chairman Sebastian Coe has been warning ticket holders (again) for the upcoming Olympic Games that they could be turned away at stadium gates if they're deemed to be advertising / endorsing products that aren't made by the official Olympic sponsors.

Now, old skool Android sports title Retro Olympics has been ejected from the Google Play arena for the opposite reason: using the official Olympics brand without permission.

However, before you tuck your Android handset under your chin, whip around 180 degrees, and fling it angrily into the distance, the game has already returned to Google Play under the name 'Retro Athletics'.

Retro Athletics is identical to Retro Olympics in terms of content: it's still an arcade-flavoured compilation of six sporting events, all of which are played by mashing two buttons for power, and occasionally tapping a third for contextual controls.

Still, if you already own Retro Olympics, it might be an idea to replace it with Retro Athletics to ensure you don't miss out on any future updates.

Newcomers, meanwhile, can find the newly re-branded Retro Athletics on Google Play for free.